Temazepam Flowers 2012

Paulo Tercio made this painting, Temazepam Flowers, on a canvas measuring 50 by 40 cm. I just love the directness of the mark-making here! Look at how the artist has built up the surface with thick layers of paint, creating a rough, almost sculptural texture, like a relief. The dark, moody palette contrasts with the vibrant red accents on the vase, drawing your eye to the peculiar flowers that give the painting its name. And wait, are those real pills in the middle of the flowers? That's pretty wild. Notice how the artist handles paint, building up texture to create form with dark hues to create a sense of depth. This gives the work a kind of rawness. It reminds me a little of some of Guston’s later paintings in its bluntness. But where Guston's paintings feel heavy, Tercio's feels… lighter somehow. Anyway, I like how this piece embraces strangeness and doesn't try to give you any easy answers.